Printing machine



May 5,1925. 1,536,207

. w. R. GORDON PRINTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 27, 1922 lPatented May 5,1925.

'UNITED STATES- IParri-:Nr or-Fica WILLIAM R. GORDON, 0F ROCHESTER, iNEWYORK, ASSIGNOR TO NORTH EAST ELEC- TRIO COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW

YORK, A. CORPORATION OF vNEW YORK.

Application led November To all whom it may concern.'

-Be it known that I' "W1LLIAM R. GORDON, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing Machines;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention such vas will enable others skilled in theart to 'which it appertains to make and use the same.

i This invention relates to printing m'achines designed for printingoncylindrical articles. v

Machines 'of the kind in question are in `use, in which acontinuously-rotary transfer-cylinder is arranged to cooperate with eachin turn yof a series of work-holdin l spindles carried by a rotarycarrier, an

m ans are provided for imparting a partial rotation to the carrier ateach rotation of the cylinder, to bring the spindles successively tooperative position. Such machines have been used heretofore for printingon such articles as cans and collapsible tubes, in which it is not.necessary to secure any particular registration between the impressionand the article printed, and the spindles have accordingly been freelyrotatable on the carrier, so that the work can rotate in consequence ofthe frictional engagement with the rubber transfer-blanket.

` The object of the'present invention is to adapt a machine of the typein question for the printing of such articles as the dials ornumber-wheels of odometers, speedometers or other instruments, in. whicha definite 'relation must be preserved betweenthe im- -pression andcertain 'parts of they article printed'upon. To this end it is proposedto provide a machine, of )the type in question, with means for holdingthe work in a definite position, with respect/to its axis of rotation,at the -moment when the transferring or printing operation upon the work4is begun. In the more complete embodiment of the invention it isproposed, further, to provide means -for rotating positively eachworkspindle at the time when it is in cooperative relation with .thetransfer-cylinder, thus determ ming exactly the relation ofthe spindle,and the work carried thereby, to the impression on thetransfer-cylinder, and prevent- 27, 192e. serial NQ. 603,584.

ing the possibility of slippage between the work and-thetransfer-blanket by which the impression might otherwise be distorted.

The linvention is more particularly de- .scribed with reference to theembodiment ilv lustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a partial frontlevation showing so much of aprintingmachine embodying the invention as is necessary to anunderstanding thereof; Fig. 2 is a rear-elevation of the means forrotating the spindle-carrier intermittently; Fig. 3 is amend-elevationof parts of-the machine; Fig. 4 is a detail front-elevation, on a largerscale, of parts' of one of the work-spindles and itsl actuating-means;Fig. 5 is a section onthe line 5-5 in Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a partialsection on the line 6-6 in Fig. 4. 1 The invention is illustrated asembodied in a rotary offset printing-machine of a well known form, andonly so much of the machine is shown as is necessary for anunderstanding of the invention. The machine has the usual frame 10, inwhich is journalled a horizontal shaft 11 carrying, at its forwardend, adrum 12 on which the rubber transfer-blanket 32 is carried. The type ison the usual type-cylinder 13, and is inked by an inking-mechanism 14 ofany suitable form. The work-holding spindles 17 are l of a horizontalshaft 16. This shaft is journalled in the frame, and its rear end isprosupported by a carrier l5 on the forward end vided with the usualmechanism for producing a step-by-step rotation. This mechanism, asshown, comprises an arm 20 arranged to swing freely on the shaft 16, and

lactuated by a rod 21. rI he rod ispivoted to i a pin 22 projecting.from a gear v18 xed on the rear end of the .shaft 11. The gear is drivenconstantly by a pinion 19, actuated by anysuitable source of power. Asthe gear 18 turns it not only rotates the transfer-cylinder 12constantly, but also,

through the rod 21, causes a forward-andof the-spindles 17 incooperative relation with the transfer-cylinder at th'e moment when theblanket 32 is passing the spindle.

The machine, as so far described, is of ordinary and Well know form, andthe present invention resides particularly in the construction and inodeof operation of the spindles and the means for controlling their rotarymovements. As shown particularly-in Fig. 5, each spindle is mounted toturn on :i hollow stud 25 projecting from the carrier A pinion 26 isfixed to the inner end of the spindle, and it meshes with a gear 27arranged to turn on a second stud 28 projecting from the carrier. Thegear is in the form of a hollow drum, and it encloses a spiral spring29, of which one end is fixed to the stud 28 and the other to a pin 30fixed in the gear. This spring tends to turn the gear in a clock-Wisedirection, and the movement is limited by a stop-lug 31 fixed to thegear. This lug cooperates With a springpressed buli'er 33 Which ismounted in a bracket 34 fixed to the carrier 15. The bracket overhangsthe gear 27 and holds it in place on the stud 28, by engagement With acover-plate 35 which closes the recess in the gear.

The spindle 17 is shown as adaptedjfor use in the printing of thenumber-rings of an odometer. For this purpose it is provided with astripper-ring 36 of Which the outer edge is shaped to engage therecessed edge of a number ring 37. (Fig. 6.) At the point'38 thestripper-ring is recessed to cooperate with certain teeth or projectionson the inner sairface of the number ring, so that a definite relativeposition is maintained between the number-ring and the spindle.

The stripper-ring 36 is held in place by a cross-pin 39 which moves in aslot in the spindle, and this pin also connects the stripper-ring with arod 40 arranged to slide in the bore of the stud 25. A spring 41, coiledaround'tlie rod, retains it normally in retracted position, butthe rearend of the rod projects in position to engage a bevelled trip-block 42fixed on the :trame of the machine, so that during each movement of thecarrier the stripper-ring on the spindle which has last been inoperative position is actuated to eject the printed number-ring from theend of the spindle.

The number-ring is held on the spindle, until ejected as just described,by several spring-pressed detent-pins 43 at the end of the spindle. Theends of these pins are rounded, so that the number-ring may be forcedover them when the rings are applied or ejected.

The details of the spindle have been described as adapted for use inconnection .particularly With number-rings, but these details will, ofcourse, be modified according to the particular form and character ofthe articles to be printed. The essential features are the provision ofmeans for locating the work in a definite position on the spindle, andfor holding the spindle initially r in a definite position of rest, sothat the engagement and printing of the work shall always begin at adefinite position.

Where extreme accuracy in printing is not necessary, the structure sofar described will operate satisfactorily. When, in the rotation of thetransfer-cylinder, the effective part of the blanket, upon Which theimpression has been made from the type-Wheel, comes into contact withthe Work on the spindle, the printing begins at the point first engaged,and the continued movement of the blanket past the spindle causes theWork and the spindle to be rotated by friction. During this rotation thespring 29 yields and the gear 27 is turned. As soon as the printing isfinished and the blanket has moved far enough to diseiigage the Work,the spring immediately rotates the parts back to their originalposition. Upon the next partial rotation of the carrier a fresh spindleis brought to operative position, and the Work just printed is ejected.

Where extreme accuracy in printing is desirable, the rotative movementsof the spindle and the transfer-cylinder should be exactly andpositively coordinated. and a feature of the invention resides in theyprovision of means for this purpose. Upon the periphery of the cylinder12 a short curved rack or gear-segment 44 is iixed,and this rack isadapted to mesh with the teeth of the pinion 26 on the spindle Which isin operative relation With the transfer-cylinder. The length and theposition of the rack are such as to produce the exact rotation necessaryfor registration of the Work and the impression on the blanket, and toinsure equality of surface-speed in these parts so that the impression'Will not be blurred.

The invention claimed is:

1. The combination, With an ofiset printing-machine comprising acontinuously rotary transfer-cylinder and an intermittently rotarycarrier With a series of freely-rotatable work-spindles thereon adaptedto cooperate successively With the transfercylinder, of a gear mountedon each spindle; a-segmental rack carried by the transfercylinder inposition to cooperate With the gear on the spindle which is in operativerelation With the cylinder; a spring for reversely rotating the spindleafter the passagey of the rack; and a stop for limiting thespring-produced return-rotation of the spindle.

2. In a printing-machine, the combination of a carrier provided with aseries of Workspindles; means for imparting successive partial rotationsto the carrier, to bring each spindle in turn into` printing position; aprinting-member arranged to cooperate with the spindle in such position;and means for rotating such spindle in harmony with the movement of theprinting-member, during the printing operation, and for impar ingreverse rotation to the spindle after the completion of the printingoperation.

3. In a printing-machine, the combination, with a continuously rotaryprintingcylinder, a spindle-carrier, and meansy for imparting successivepartial rotations to the spindle-carrier,l in timed relation to therotation of the cylinder, to bring successive spindles into operativerelation to the cylin' der, of a series of spindles rotatablymounted onthe carrier, each spindle provided with means for holding the article tobe printed in a delinite vrelation to the spindle; and means forpredetermininr the initial position of the spindle relative to thecarrier and for returning it to such position automatically after eachprinting operation.

4. `A machine as defined in claim 3, in which the last-mentioned meanstherein coinprise a spring for rotating the spindle back v to initialposition, and a stop for arresting such rotation at the predeterminedposition.

WILLIAM R GORDON.

